Stages of Writing

You read something that inspires you, and you say, “I want to do that! I’m going to do that!” So you begin.

Sure, “A devilish return” and “first epic novel” seem like contradictions but never mind that.

You know your first sentence will set the tone for your entire “first epic novel,” so you want to get it right.

You know you have to have conflict, but you need to establish a little setting, a little character development before you jump right into it. You want your readers to pay close “antention,” after all.

Your mother is going to be so proud, you think, as you put the finishing touches of Wedgie Woman’s underpants on her head.

Ahhh, the teenage kid. You are so interested in the teenage kid.(A cute baby that might have some orthopedic issues.)

You’re really into the story now. You don’t have time to give the adult a proper dress or more than five pieces of hair.  Just go with one detail that shows readers this person is adult.  Hmmmm, what should it be? What should it be? Big lips! Of course.  All adults have huge lips.

Done.

Sometimes, when you reach the conflict, you find that all you can do is get it down. Maybe the conflict snuck up on you.  That happens a lot in writing. You think you know that you’re writing a fun story about a gal with underpants on her head and then something happens that you weren’t expecting. That gal talks back.  Just get the story down. You can come back to it later.

Or not.  Just end it.

Don’t forget to add an “About the Author” page.  That is very important.  Readers like to know about their writers. Don’t worry if you switch from the third person to the first person. Your mother has problems staying in the same verb tense.  She doesn’t let that stop her.